Combination tool pouch and drill holster

ABSTRACT

A combination tool pouch and drill holster are mounted on a tool belt. The tool pouch includes an inside panel and an outside panel which are formed in an arcuate configuration to facilitate comfortable placement on the leg or hip of a craftsman or workman. The outside panel has a tool drill holster mounted thereon which is attached in a manner which tilts the drill retained within the holster in the manner to facilitate gripping thereof by a workman.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a continuation in part of U.S. Ser. No. 10/813,524 filed Mar. 30, 2004 entitled “Tool Belt Carrier, and Pouch Constructions” which is a continuation of Ser. No. 10/339,902 filed Jan. 10, 2003 for “Low Slung Tool Carrier”, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,712,251 issued Mar. 30, 2004, which is a division of Ser. No. 09/921,125 filed Aug. 2, 2001 for “Low Slung Tool Carrier” (abandoned), which is a continuation in part of Ser. No. 09/359,339 filed Jul. 21, 1999 for “Tool Belt” (now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,348), and provisional application Ser. No. 60/222,713 filed Aug. 3, 2000 for “Low Slung Tool Carrier” (abandoned) all of which are incorporated herewith by reference and for which priority is claimed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In a principal aspect the present invention relates to a combination tool pouch and drill holster which are attached to and suspended from a tool belt.

Workmen and craftsmen often utilize power tools, such as a power drill, of the type which includes a handle and a chuck for receipt of a drill bit. Such drills often, in modern tools, do not require connection to a power cord. Rather, such drills often are battery powered. Further, workmen and craftsmen often find it necessary and advantageous to carry such a tool in a holster suspended from a tool belt. Attachment of a drill holster to a tool belt, however, is not readily accomplished. That is, many tool belts just do not include a holster arrangement for a drill. Further, a holster by itself is often not as useful as a holster in combination with a tool pouch which would include extra bits, for example, and other hand tools needed by the craftsmen, carpenter or the like. Thus, there has developed a need to provide an improved drill holster which can be combined with a tool pouch suspended from a tool belt.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, the present invention comprises a combination tool pouch and drill holster which includes a tool belt having suspended therefrom a tool pouch as well as the drill holster in combination. The tool pouch includes an inside panel and an outside panel. The inside panel and outside panel are generally arcuate in configuration and attach to one another to define an open pocket. The arcuate configuration of the panels enables placement of the tool pouch against a hip or leg of a craftsman, workman or the like.

The outside face of the tool pouch includes a tool or power drill holster attached thereto. The tool holster is formed from a generally flexible material which is sewn or otherwise attached to the outside panel along a seam which forms an acute angle with one side of the outside panel. The other side of the holster is attached to the outside edge of the tool pouch by means of rivets or other fastening means. A retention strap is pivotally attached by a fastener to the tool belt and may be pivoted to fit over the handle of a drill retained within the holster. The strap may thus be attached to the holster to hold a drill or similar tool in the holster.

Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved combination tool pouch and holster.

Another object of the invention is to provide a drill or tool holster which is sewn or otherwise attached to the outside panel of a tool pouch wherein the holster comprises a single piece of flexible material or fabric sewn to the outside panel of the pouch along an arcuate or diagonal seam. The holster is then folded and riveted or otherwise attached to the outside panel of the tool pouch in a manner that provides a top opening for insertion of a tool into the holster and a bottom opening for extension of a chuck, bit or the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tool pouch on a tool belt with a drill holder or drill holster attached thereto that positions a power drill retained therein so that it is easy to grip and further which enables retention of the drill in an efficient manner with the handle susceptible to being retained by a strap member.

Another object of the invention is to provide a drill holster which is incorporated with a tool pouch or pocket attached to a belt wherein the drill holster enables positioning of a drill therein an ergonomic and comfortable manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool pouch and drill holster combination wherein the drill holster is comprised of panel members which are arcuate or curved so that the tool pouch may comfortably rest against the leg or hip of a workman or user.

These and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

In the detailed description which follows, reference will be made to the drawing comprised of the following figures:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view depicting the combination of a tool belt, tool pouch and drill holster in an exemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the combination of FIG. 1 wherein a drill retention strap is depicted as being deployed to engage and hold the handle of a drill positioned within the drill holster;

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the holster and tool pouch of FIG. 2 depicting the manner of retention of a battery powered power drill within the drill holster;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view depicting the manner of construction of the drill holster;

FIG. 5 is an isometric view illustrating the manner of holding or fastening a side of the drill holster to the tool pocket to thereby assemble the drill holster construction of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a further isometric view depicting the attachment of the drill holster to the tool pouch suspended from a tool belt;

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the back side of the tool pouch and drill holster comprising the invention illustrating the manner in which the tool pouch is curved or formed in a curvilinear manner to facilitate comfortable positioning thereof against the hip or leg of an individual, workman or craftsman;

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of the combination of FIG. 1 depicting the underside of the tool pouch; and

FIG. 9 is a side elevation of the combination tool pouch, tool belt and drill holster of the invention and of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the figures, the combination tool pouch and drill holster of the invention is suspended from and attached to a tool belt 20 having opposite ends 22 and 24 that may be joined together by means of a releasable buckle 26. The tool pouch 28 includes an inside panel 30 and an outside panel 32. The inside panel 30 includes an upper edge 34 which is attached to the inside of the belt 20 along a seam 36. The inside panel 30 further includes a first lateral side edge 38 and a second generally parallel spaced second lateral side edge 40. The lateral side edges 38 and 40 extend from the upper edge 36 downwardly to a lower edge 42. The inside panel 30 thus has a generally rectangular shape. However, in the preferred embodiment, the inside panel 30 is generally arcuate and forms a curved panel, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 8 so as to enable the curved panel to fit against the hip or leg of a worker or craftsman in a comfortable manner.

Affixed to the inside panel 30 is an outside panel 32 which connects from the first lateral side 38 to the second lateral side 40 and which is foreshortened relative to the vertical length of the inside panel 30. The outside panel 32 includes a lower edge or lower edge section 44 which is also arcuate in configuration and a bottom portion or section 46 connected to the lower edge 42 of the inside panel 30. The outside panel 32 further includes an upper margin or edge 48 which is arcuate and in the preferred embodiment includes a reinforcing element 50 within a binding 52 so as to form the pocket with an opening from the top side, the pocket being defined between the inside panel 30 and the outside panel 32.

Attached to the outside face 52 of the outside panel 32 is a drill or tool holster 54. The drill holster 54 includes a diagonal seam 56 attached to the outside face 52 of the outside panel 32 and extending in a manner which converges with the first lateral side edge 38. The convergence is and forms an arcuate acute angle typically in the range of 5° to 35°. This angle of inclination becomes important in order to appropriately position a drill, such as a battery powered electric drill 60 in FIG. 3, within the drill holster in a manner which is ergonomically sound and which is comfortable and which facilitates ease of gripping onto the handle 62 of drill 60 positioned within the holster 54. The holster 54 is formed from a flexible material such as fabric, canvas, or a plastic material. Subsequent to attachment of the material along the seam 56 the opposite side of the holster; namely, the opposite side 66 is attached by means of first and second rivets 68 and 70 to the first lateral side edge 38 of the inside panel 30. In this manner as depicted in FIG. 6 the holster is arranged so that the lower end 70 of the holster is smaller in configuration and opening than the upper end 72. Additionally, a flap 74 at the upper end 72 includes a side edge 76 which, in the preferred embodiment, is generally parallel to the seam 56 and is not attached or sewn to the first lateral side edge 38. Rather, the flap 74 is open so that the handle 62 of drill 60 may fit into a slot defined between the edge 76 and the outside panel 32, again as depicted, for example, in FIG. 3.

A retention strap 80 is attached to the belt 20 by means of a swivel fastener 82 so that the strap 80 may be pivoted about the swivel fastener 82 so as to enable a releasable fastener 84 at the opposite end of the strap to be attached to a snap 86, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 1. Alternatively, the strap 80 may be pivoted about the swivel fastener 82 and attached to a snap 88 from the belt 20, for example, again, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The strap 80 may thus retain the drill 60 in the holster 54 or permit removal thereof. Removal is effected by release of the snap fasteners 84 so as to enable removal and disengagement from the handle 62 of the drill 60. In the embodiment shown, an auxiliary pocket 90 is sewn along its upper edge 92 to the upper end or binding 48 of the outside panel 32. Thus, an auxiliary pocket 90 is shown in FIG. 1 is provided in addition to the pocket formed by the inside panel 30 and the outside panel 32.

The drill holster 54 may include, by way of example, drill bit pockets 94 on the outside face thereof. Additional pockets, such as a pocket 96, may also be formed on the outside of the drill holster 54.

As depicted in FIGS. 8 and 9 the outside panel 32 forms or has an arcuate configuration relative to the inside panel 30. However, both panels are curved or arcuate with the outside panel having a greater curvature than the inside panel 30 to thereby form a tool pouch. In the preferred embodiment, lower edge of the outside panel 32 is connected by means of a panel in the form of a segment 33.

It is possible to vary the configuration of the various pockets in a manner to further facilitate the ergonomic configuration thereof. For example, for a right handed individual, the embodiment of FIGS. 1-9 is useful. However, the component elements described may be reversed in a manner to provide for placement of the drill holster on the opposite hip of an individual for a left handed arrangement thereof. The arrangement of the auxiliary pockets, the size and shape of the inside and outside panel, as well as the size and shape of the drill holster, may be varied. Importantly, the drill holster is open along its bottom edge 55 in FIG. 1 so as to enable the chuck of the drill to fit therethrough. The bottom edge 55 defines an opening which is of lesser size therein along the top edge 57 so as to further facilitate the retention of a drill of the type described. Other variations of the construction may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention is therefore to be limited only by the following claims and equivalents. 

1. A combination tool pouch and drill holster comprising, in combination: a tool belt, said tool belt including first and second ends and a buckle for connecting the ends; a tool pouch attached to the belt, said tool pouch including an inside panel having a top edge attached to the tool belt, a bottom edge generally parallel to the top edge, a first lateral side edge extending between the top edge and bottom edge a second lateral side edge generally parallel to the first lateral side edge and spaced from the first lateral side edge a first distance; said tool pouch further including an outside panel with an outside face, said outside panel attached to the inside panel and extending generally between the first lateral side edge and the second lateral side edge, said outside panel also attached to the bottom edge to form a pocket with an open top for access to the interior of the pocket, said inside panel and said outside panel each formed in an arcuate configuration extending generally between the first lateral side edge and the second lateral side edge; and a drill holster attached to the outside face of the outside panel, said drill holster comprising a generally flexible material flap having a top edge, a first side edge attached to the first lateral side edge, a second side edge attached to the outside panel along a diagonal line forming an acute angle with the first side edge converging toward the intersection of the first side edge and the bottom edge, said flap forming a drill pocket with an open top for placement of a drill therein and an open bottom for extension of a chuck of a drill therethrough, said flap further including an open slot along the first side adjacent the top edge for placement of the handle of a drill.
 2. The combination pouch and drill holster of claim 1 further including a drill retention strap connectable from the belt to the drill pouch flap.
 3. The combination pouch and drill holster of claim 2 wherein the retention strap is affixed to the belt and includes a fastener end that extends to and is connectable to a releasable fastener on the flap.
 4. The combination of claim 3 wherein the belt includes a releasable fastener for alternately attaching the fastener end of the strap.
 5. The combination of claim 1 wherein the acute angle is in the range of about 5° to 35°.
 6. The combination of claim 2 wherein the retention strap is attached by a swivel connection to the belt.
 7. The combination of claim 3 wherein the retention strap is attached by a swivel connection to the belt.
 8. The combination of claim 1 wherein the drill holster is sewn to the outside panel and riveted to the first lateral side. 